Bottle receptacle



Dec. 30, 1969 J. ID.YWILSOIN- BOTTLE RECEPTACLE Filed March 11, 1968 o M .U.

pvt avian- .fanar 0. M/fi'a/r W M nrrozlve'f United States Patent US. Cl. 211-71 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wire-formed receptacle is provided which may be stacked with other similar receptacles for displaying cartons of bottles of soft drinks, and for receiving cartons of empty bottles; the receptacle being capable of being nested with other similar receptacles when not in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is well known, it is the usual present-day practice to merchandise bottles of soft drinks in cardbord cartons. The present invention provides an improved wireformed receptacle which, as indicated above, is particularly constructed to house and display such cartons of soft drink bottles.

The receptacle of the invention may be stacked with other like receptacles into a tier, with each receptacle in the tier being displaced longitudinally back from the next lower receptacle, and with each receptacle held in a forwardly tilted position, so that the cartons of bottles contained in the individual receptacles may be gravity fed towards the front ends of the receptacles. The ends of each of the receptacles are preferably open so that cartons of full bottles can be withdrawn through the front end, and so that cartons of empty bottles may be inserted through the rear end.

With such a construction, a tier of the aforesaid receptacles may be provided, with each of the receptacles loaded with cartons of full bottles. Such a tier may be displayed at an accessible location in a supermarket, or other retail outlet. The customer may then select cartons of the various soft drinks through the front end of each receptacle. Cartons of empty bottles may be placed in the rear end of each receptacle as the cartons of full bottles are removed from the front end. The forward tilting of the individual receptacles causes the cartons to be gravity fed toward their front ends.

When the receptacles in the tier become full of cartons of empty bottles, the tier may be moved to a dispatching point in the supermarket, dismantled and the individual receptacles sent back to the central collection depot where all the empties are normally returned. After the receptacles have been received at the central depot, the cartons of empty bottles may be removed. Then the receptacles may be nested into one another and returned to the supermarket for re-use.

The wire-formed receptacles of the invention, therefore, provide an efficient and convenient means for displaying and merchandising soft drinks, and for collecting and returning the empties to the central collection depot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A wire-formed receptacle is provided which may be stacked on other like receptacles for the reasons described above, and which may be nested into such other receptacles when empty. The receptacle of the invention, as explained, is particularly constructed for the display and dispensing of cartons of soft drink bottles, not only to permit the cartons of full bottles to be removed by the customer from its forward end, but to receive cartons of empties through its rear end. For that reason, the receptacles are constructed to have Wire-formed sides and bottoms, and to have open ends. However, an upright restraining lip is formed, at least at the forward end of the receptacle, to prevent the cartons from sliding out when the receptacles are held in their tilted position as mentioned above, and thereby to hold the cartons in the receptacle.

The wire-formed receptacle of the present invention also includes a plurality of longitudinally extending partitions, each formed of a wire having, for example, a rectangular wave-shaped configuration. These partitions divide the receptacle into separate longitudinal compartments, each extending the length of the receptacle. These compartments are intended to receive respective rows of cartons of the full and empty bottles.

A lower wire-formed bin may also be provided as a base for the aforesaid tier. This lower bin has an inclined upper supporting rim which permits the various receptacles of the tier to assume their desired inclined position. The lower bin may be supported on a dolly, so that the entire tier may conveniently be moved from place to place. The lower bin, moreover, may be used to store and receive loose empty bottles.

The individual wire-formed receptacles of the invention are constructed, as will be described, to have upper and lower stacking loops. The lower stacking loops are offset longitudinally with respect to the upper stacking loops, so that the successive inclined receptacles in the aforesaid tier may be offset with respect to one another, so as to permit the tier of inclined receptacles to extend vertically, as will be described.

In addition, the wire-formed sides of the receptacle of the invention have wires extending essentially vertically to form the sides of the receptacle. These wires permit one receptacle to be nested down into another similar receptacle, with the upper stacking loops of the lower receptacle extending into the spaces between adjacent wires in the sides of the upper receptacle. The sides of each receptacle are each provided with a horizontal wire which extends along the side, and which is spaced down from the upper rim. This wire is engaged by the upper stacking loops of the lower receptacle during the nesting action of the receptacles, to limit the extent to which the upper receptacle can be nested down into the lower receptacle, so as to prevent jamming.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view, on a reduced scale, with respect to FIGURES 1 and 2, and showing the manner in which the receptacles of the invention may be stacked on one another, so that each receptacle is inclined towards its front end, for the gravity feed of its contents; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the sides of a pair of receptacles, like the receptacle of FIGURE 1, and showing the manner in which the receptacles are nested down in one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The wire-formed receptacle shown in the drawings includes, for example, a wire which extends as a rim for the receptacle completely around the periphery of the receptacle, and which defines the top edges of a pair of sides of the receptacle, as well as the end edges of the sides, and the top edges of a pair of fore-shortened end lips for the receptacle. It will be observed that the rim 10 is shaped to provide a plurality of upper stacking loops 12 adjacent the respective ends of each side of the receptacle. Each of the upper stacking loops 12 extends inwardly from the plane of its corresponding side, and each loop also extends upwardly from the rim 10.

A plurality of spaced and parallel transverse wires 14 are afiixed to the rim 10. These wires have a generally U-shaped configuration, and they form the bottom of the receptacle, and also form the two sides. A plurality of spaced and parallel longitudinal wires 16 are affixed to the rim 10 and extend longitudinally of the receptacle from one end lip to the other. These latter wires further form the bottom of the receptacle, and also form the end lips.

A wire loop 18 extends transversely across the bottom of the receptacle adjacent one end thereof, and a similar loop 20 extends across the receptacle adjacent the other end thereof. An additional transverse loop 22 extends across the bottom of the receptacle spaced in from the loop 18, and displaced longitudinally from the corresponding upper stacking loops 12. A further loop 24 extends transversely across the bottom of the receptacle displaced in from the loop 20. The loops 18, 20, 22 and 24 are all parallel to one another.

These latter loops form lower stacking loops for the receptacle adjacent the respective sides. The loops are displaced with respect to the upper stacking loops 12, so that when the receptacle is stacked on a similar receptacle with one particular orientation, it is displaced longitudinally in one direction with respect to the lower receptacle. Likewise, even with its opposite orientation, the receptacle may likewise be faced with the selected longitudinal displacement, and in the same direction with respect to the lower receptacle.

This displacement between the upper and lower stacking loops permits the receptacles to be stacked on top of one another on a lower bin 26, and with an inclination as shown in FIGURE 3, while still retaining a vertical tier. The lower bin 26 may receive loose bottles, as shown in FIGURE 3.

The receptacle also contains a plurality of wave-shaped wires 30 which are afiixed to the rim 10, and which extend longitudinally from one end lip to the other. The wires 30 have, as shown, a rectangular wave-shape, and they serve to define separate longitudinal compartments for the receptacle. In addition, a pair of wires 32 extend along each side of the receptacle, the wires 32 being displaced down from the corresponding rim 10.

The receptacle of FIGURE 1 has further looped wires 40, 42, 44 and 46 in each side which are afiixed to the rim 10 and to the wires 32, these latter wires forming loops at their lower ends which cooperate with the aforesaid looped wires 18, 20, 22 and 24 to provide the lower stacking loops for the receptacle.

The receptacle of FIGURE 1, therefore, is formed to receive a plurality of cartons of bottles, as explained above. The cartons are supported in longitudinal rows in the receptacle, separated by the compartments formed by the partition wires 30. When the receptacles are stacked into a tier, and in an inclined position as shown in FIG- URE 3, the cartons of the bottles are displaced toward the front end of the receptacle, due to gravity. The customer may then remove a carton from the forward end, causing the remaining cartons in the row to move down against the forward end lip formed by the rim 10 and the longitudinal wires 16. As the rows move forward in the receptacle, cartons of empty bottles may be placed in through the rear end.

The receptacles are configured so that when they are empty, and as shown in FIGURE 4, an upper receptacle may extend down into a lower receptacle, until its side wires 32 engage the upper stacking loops 12 of the lower receptacle. The stacking loops 12 extend in through the spaces in the wires forming the sides of the upper receptacle, and the side wires 32 limit the extent to which the upper receptacle may nest down into the lower receptacle, so as to avoid jamming of the receptacles. The lower stacking loops formed by the transverse looped wires 18, 20, 22, 24, in cooperation with the loops formed by the looped wires 40, 42, 44 and 46, are positioned so that the upper stacking loops 12 of a lower receptacle may extend into the lower stacking loops, to permit one receptacle to be nested on another.

As mentioned above, the lower stacking loops are offset longitudinally with respect to the upper stacking loops, to permit an offset stacking of the receptacles, as shown in FIGURE 3. In this way the receptacles may be supported in an inclined position on the lower bin 26, for a gravity feed of their contents, while preserving the vertical characteristics of the tier. The tier, as shown in FIGURE 3, may be supported on an appropriate dolly 50, to permit it to be moved from place to place.

The wire-formed improved receptacle of the present invention makes the dispensing of bottles of soft drinks, and the collection of the empty bottles much more efiicient, as compared with the practice prior to the invention. As explained, the cartons of full bottles may be displayed and dispensed in a convenient manner, in the retail outlet. The cartons of empties, likewise, may be conveniently stored in the various receptacles, for ultimate return to the central depot, in a simplified and efficient manner.

It will be appreciated that while a particular embodiment of the invention has been described, modifications may be made. The following claims are intended to cover the modifications which come within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A nestable-stackable wire-formed receptacle for housing cartons of bottles, said receptacle including a wire rim extending around the periphery thereof and defining first and second sides for the receptacle and further defining fore-shortened end lips therefor, said rim forming a pair of upper stacking loops at the ends of each of said sides, with said loops extending in from the respective planes of. the corresponding side and upwardly from said rim; a plurality of spaced and parallel transverse wires afiixed to said rim, said transverse wires extending across the receptacle and each having a generally U-shaped configuration to form the bottom and sides of said receptacle; a plurality of spaced and parallel longitudinal wires attached to said rim and each having a generally U-shaped configuration further to form said bottom and to form said fore-shortened end lips; a plurality of spaced and parallel wave-shaped wires afifixed to said rim and extending longitudinally from one of said foreshortened end lips to the other to form partitions in said receptacle; and a plurality of spaced and parallel wire loops extending transversely across said bottom and forming lower stacking loops for the receptacle adjacent the sides thereof.

2. The receptacle defined in claim 1, in which said lower stacking loops are olfset longitudinally with respect to corresponding ones of said upper stacking loops.

3. The receptacle defined in claim 1, and which includes a further wire extending longitudinally along each side of said receptacle and spaced down from said rim and parallel thereto, the further wires serving to limit the extent to which the receptacle can be nested down into a like receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVID H. BROWN,

Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

